Posted by bulldog2 on May 25, 2010, at 9:42:30
In reply to uncertain, but certainly scr*wed, posted by floatingbridge on May 25, 2010, at 1:52:34
> I think (right now) that I was better off before medication.
>
> Yes, I started antidepressants because of depression. The depression was fed largely by anxiety, insomnia, and psychological issues.
>
> After antidepressant use (two years in) came breakdown number one. (I had foolishly tried to self medicate with very low dose xanax--.)
>
> I made it through school and graduate school unmedicated. Life kinda s*cked--it always has. But jeez, I'm not any better and am in fact worse.
>
> I don't know how I'll ever work again much less string together enough sustained attention to 'be productive'
>
> This isn't an anti-psych post. I'm just feeling scared. Today my pdoc (whom I like) said he didn't believe benzos, zdrugs and ad's affected sleep architecture. ???
>
> That and when I decreased Xanax I had symptoms--I assumed it was just more mysterious symptoms that come and go, when pdoc says I'm experiencing withdrawal. Next day, in discomfort, I increase my dose a little. Yeah, the symptoms disappeared.
>
> Life is going on and on (a bit like this post, I'm afraid).
>
> I used to believe in medication.
>
>I think the best attitude is meds are a tool for us. Think of the ascending anxiety or depression as a freefall into a dark pit. The meds are a parachute to break the fall.
I think we expect to much from them and we are disappointed when they don't cure us. Regardless we still have to force ourselves outthere and work at our goals.
Drug combos will poop out and we will need new ones. Sometimes we may need a new p-doc who is a better pharmacologist.
I guess I get a little puzzled by peoples announcements. Today my drugs are working and people announce that drugs are great. They stop working and people announce drugs suck.
Life is complex and finding one's health is a real battle. Some days are good and other days are gloomy. This is a struggle to attain remission. Maybe if you stop looking for a miracle in a pill you will be much better off.
Remember they are to stop that freefall. Or think of them as pain pills that take enough pain away that you can function and work on your problems.
> I think (right now) that I was better off before medication.
I have seen the statement above and I don't know how people can even begin to make it or prove it.
So hear we are years down the road and you are worse off than when you started meds. Your implication seems to be that meds caused the worsening of your condition. So let's look at the possibilites.
1. meds made your condition worse
2. meds may have slowed the decline of your mental health. Perhaps without meds you would be in an institution. when one has a disease such as anxiety and depression they can get better or they can get worse.
In my case and I was unmedicated for years there was a slow decline and things got worse and worse.
Why do people assume they will just go into remission on their own?3. The meds did nothing. They did not influence the progression of your disease in either a positive or a negative way.
We have to take responsibility for our health (mental,physical).We can't look for miracles in a pill and when they don't deliver that blame the pill(s) for everything that has gone wrong.
poster:bulldog2
thread:948745
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100524/msgs/948775.html